One of the most common problems I see is leaders who espouse certain values and beliefs, but they are not willing to be held accountable to their beliefs.  The executive who says, “Everybody’s equally important in this company,” yet gives preferential privileges to themself and other members of the executive team. The CEO who says, “Integrity is a key component of the culture,” yet they talk behind people’s backs.

You can put any pretty words you want on the wall, but if you are not able to set the tone and be the example, it will never work, period, end of story!  It is not realistic to expect that you are going to be perfect 100 percent of the time – that is not what I am talking about. What I am talking about is an extremely high level of integrity and ability to model the values and if at some point you miss the mark, be transparent with your team and apologize for your mistake and recommit to the values. People can actually respect you more when you can demonstrate your vulnerability and be accountable for it.